The Osceola times., 1887-06-04
AT ClAY'S OLD HOME.
The Great Kentuckian's Descendants and
How and Where They Live.

How and where They Live.
1t was late in the afternoon when
rang the bell to the main entrance to
the mansion. A bright-eyed young
miss responded, and as l handed her
my card ] realized at once, not with
out slight feeling of emotion. too,
that was being greeted by the great
granddaughter Of Henry Clay. Young
as she is. she evidently knows what
Kentucky hospitality is, for without
glancing at the card even. she ushered
her visitor into noble drawing-room.
where a bright coal fire was blazing.
II is an imposing mansion, this historic
home of the Clays. The first entrance
is into large square hall finished ~
polished ash and floored with hard
wood. which no covering but a rug con-
ceals To the left as one enters is tho
study Of Henry Clay--his own work.
room, where he studied, wrote and re-
ceived his political and other friends.
Directly ahead AS one enters the front
door is broad entrance to double
drawing-room richly furnished and
adorned with pictures and family por-
traits. This in turn leads into an
octagonal dome-covered library lined
with polished wood throughout. The
shelves on all sides contain thousands
Of volumes, many of them of great
value To the right of the square hall
and in one corner rises a broad and
richly designed staircase of polished
ash.
Major Mcdowell greeted his visitor
cordially and very cheerfully gave
him such information about the
old place as was needed. Many
visitors came to Ashland and all
were made welcome. Unfortunately.
there were but few relies of the old
times or the old occupants, but the
Major showed picture of a curious old
bedstead used by his wife's grandpar
ents, now in possession of another
member of the family.
One can see that the Major him.
self is not much of an antiquarian, and
that his bump of reverence for dis
tinguished ancestry was either never
developed or has shriveled up in the
constant presence of his surroundings
! think no law of hospitality is violated
in the remark that ! believe the Major
would much rather talk horses than
Henry Clay. 1t was pretty hard to
keep him off the subject of Dictator
colts and King Rene fillies. The Major,
however, showed portrait of Henry
Clay hanging in the hall at the age of
forty, painted by Matthew Jouett.
a Kentucky artist; also az old
daguerreotype of the man at
sixty-seven. The house and its
fittings are so modern and the latter
are so elegant, for Major Mcdowell
is man Of wealth, that one finds
II more interesting In searching for
"reminiscences of Clay to wander about
the grounds, gaze upon the trees
he planted with his own hands. upon
the outbuilding-, such as the old barn
and the ice-houses that are as they
were half century ago, and walk in
the paths he laid out aud graded. The
view from the front of the mansion is a
beautiful one. 1t takes into the pano-
rama the town of Lexington, and a
mile beyond the Clay monument pierces
the heavens. a tiny object, but clear
| and well-detined.
The only son of Henry Clay alive is
John NJ. Clay, whose residence and the
stables of his string of thoroughbreds
are in plain view of Ashland. John NJ.
is nothing more than a very respect
able citizen. He has inherited none OF
his fathers great mental gifts.
| The eldest son was James b. Clay,
whom Taylor put into the diplomatic
service. He inherited Ashland from
his father, and during the war; it will
be remembered, became Sccessonist,
and TO save himself from trouble took
refuge in Canada. He died without
issue. Hery Clay, jr., the favority son
went to the Mexican war as Lieutenant
Colonel of Kentucky regiment, ant
was killed at Buena Vista. His onl,
child, daughter, is wife of Maiot
Mcdowell, and the mother of grow
young men just out of Yale. ThomaI
II. Clay, another son, was appointed BY
President Lincoln Minister to Nicara
qua. He was quite prominent in poll
ties as Republican, but he. too, dice
some time after the war. And so ar,
fast dwindling in number the older o
the descendants of Henry Clay.-Cor
Chicago Tribune.